Use of Force: Training Police for Better Outcomes

Monday, January 12, 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Pioneer Bank, Adams St., Mankato (Victory Dr. & Adams)

Police officers are human beings functioning in high stress, urgent, and deadly situations. We ask them to keep our communities safe, deal with violence, arrest criminals and protect themselves and others all the while making split second, life and death, decisions. The decisions individual officers make can prevent a tragedy or cause a tragedy. How should police be trained differently to produce the better outcomes? We will explore the illusions and realities of police training and performance.

Presenter:

Dr. William (Bill) Lewinskis, a leading behavioral scientist whose work has focused on the intensive study of human dynamics involved in high-stress, life-threatening encounters. He has a Ph.D. in Police Psychology and is a professor emeritus of Law Enforcement at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he taught for more than 28 years. For the last quarter century, he has been involved as an expert witness or consultant in some of the highest profile police shootings in the US, UK, and Australia. He is a founding partner and co-owner of Force Science, a nationally recognized leader in public safety research, training, and consulting.

Sponsor:

• Larry Nicol